LL Cool J

Acting · 2.0 popularity

Age

Movies

Born: January 14, 1968
From: Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, USA
Website: Visit site

Biography

James Todd Smith (better known as LL Cool J, an acronym for Ladies Love Cool James; born January 14, 1968) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip hop acts Beastie Boys and Run-DMC. Signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, his breakthrough came with his single "I Need a Beat" and his landmark debut album, Radio (1985). He achieved further commercial and critical success with the albums Bigger and Deffer (1987), Walking with a Panther (1989), Mama Said Knock You Out (1990), Mr. Smith (1995), and Phenomenon (1997). His twelfth album, Exit 13 (2008), was his last in his long-tenured deal with Def Jam. A two-time Grammy Award winner, LL Cool J is known for hip hop songs such as "Going Back to Cali", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", "Rock the Bells", and "Mama Said Knock You Out", as well as R&B hits such as "Doin' It", "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover". In 2010, VH1 placed him on their "100 Greatest Artists Of All Time" list. In 2017, LL Cool J became the first rapper to receive the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2021, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with an award for Musical Excellence. While he first appeared as a rapper in the movie Krush Groove (performing "I Can't Live Without My Radio"), his first acting part was a small role in a high school football movie called Wildcats. He continued to work in movies from then until 1995 when he landed his own television sitcom, In the House (1995-2000). He has appeared in numerous films, including Last Holiday, Edison, Mindhunters, S.W.A.T., Deliver Us from Eva, Rollerball, Charlie's Angels, In Too Deep, Any Given Sunday, Deep Blue Sea, Halloween H20, B.A.P.S., Toys, and The Hard Way. In 2005, he returned to television in a guest starring role on the FOX medical drama House. He also guest starred on 30 Rock in 2007, and on Sesame Street 's 39th season where he introduced the word of the day, "Unanimous” and performed "The Addition Expedition" in episode 4172 (Sept. 30, 2008). As of 2011, he stars as Special Agent Sam Hanna on CBS's police procedural NCIS: L.A., a spin-off of NCIS. He was also the host of MTV's Lip Sync Battle.

Works

65 films

Charlie's Angels

20005.9

Deep Blue Sea

19996.0

S.W.A.T.

20036.2

Last Holiday

20067.3

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

19986.0

Any Given Sunday

19996.8

Mindhunters

20046.4

Grudge Match

20136.1

The Hard Way

19916.2

Toys

19925.3

In Too Deep

19996.4

Edison

20055.4

Wildcats

19866.3

How Bruce Lee Changed the World

20098.0

Rollerball

20023.9

Slow Burn

20055.3

One World: Together at Home

20207.1

B.A.P.S

19975.4

Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music

20257.8

SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)

20256.9

ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway

20077.2

The Deal

20085.4

Kingdom Come

20016.5

MVP: Most Valuable Performer

20181.0

Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell

20217.1

You're Watching Video Music Box

20216.4

Deliver Us from Eva

20036.4

Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’

20125.0

Ricky Powell: The Individualist

20204.8

Stans

20257.2

Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America

2019

Caught Up

19985.2

Krush Groove

19856.3

2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

20228.2

The Right to Remain Silent

19965.2

It's Black Entertainment

20028.7

LL Cool J Presents The Rock the Bells Festival Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop

2026

NCISverse: The First 1,000

20249.0

Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute

20158.0

Woo

19984.4

Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars

2012

Beef

20037.1

The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles

20147.1

Touch

19975.7

Out-of-Sync

19954.5

Mayweather

20134.5

Quincy Jones, Music Man

20259.0

Rapmania: The Roots of Rap

19998.0

A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop

20239.0

Comin' Up Short

2024

The Show

19957.0

A Hip Hop Minute

20246.5

Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones

20187.0

Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1

20026.0

Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular

20246.0

Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert

20159.3

Simply Mad About the Mouse

19916.0

2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

20238.1

DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd

20096.6

Diana Ross: Red Hot Rhythm and Blues

1987

Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You

20127.5

The Man

2007

Future Of The Funk

1991

Big Fun in the Big Town

19867.5

A Home for the Holidays: The 20th Anniversary

2018